Direct Line Versicherung AG a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland will be a new partner of Bundesliga’s Hertha BSC.

The cooperation was initially agreed for two years and includes extensive advertising and PR activities. These include the legal title to TV brandadvertisements in the media club and a VIP box at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The partnership was brokered by SPORTFIVE.

“We are based just outside of Berlin and many of our nearly 400 employees are large Hertha fans. The decision was relatively easy for our new partner. As one of the traditional clubs in the Bundesliga, Hertha BSC is the ideal partner and an attractive platform for the distribution of our insurance benefits. too, we value excellence that unites us, “said Dr. David Stachon, CEO of Direct Line AG.

The aim of the cooperation is to make more widely known among other things, the Direct Line brand and strengthen the identification with the region of Berlin and Brandenburg Teltow.

Also Hertha sporting director, Michael Preetz welcomed the sponsorship: “We are very happy to have won a Direct Line’s exclusive partner in the region, which will also become involved in Fanumfeld. “

Christian Jäger, SPORTFIVE team leader at Hertha BSC, added: “Direct Line receives at Hertha BSC, a comprehensive and powerful sponsorship package – an ideal basis to increase the regional and national awareness of the company and achieve the target communication and sales goals.”

The Canadian Olympic Committee announced a four-year partnership agreement making adidas the Official High Performance Apparel and Footwear Supplier for the Canadian Olympic team.

In the fall of 2013, adidas will launch the all-new Canadian Olympic Team High Performance Collection – specifically designed for athletes and Canadians at all levels in Canada to wear during training.

The Canadian Olympic Team High Performance Collection has been designed to equip athletes at all levels with Olympic-quality apparel and footwear. The fabrication enhances muscle efficiency, manages moisture and insulates the body during all types of training sessions. The collection includes compression and workout gear; various outwear layers for outdoor training, including winter jackets, vests, zip-up and pull-over fleeces; long and short-sleeved performance t-shirts, footwear and accessories. The apparel will feature both adidas and Canadian Olympic Committee logos.

Sport Chek has been named as the lead retail partner that will carry the entire line of adidas Canadian Olympic Team High Performance Collection in all 170 Sport Chek stores across the country, launching on November 7, 2013. Sport Chek is a Premier National Partner of the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Official Sports Store of Canada’s Olympic Team.  Canadian Tire and Sports Experts, also Premier National Partners of Canada’s Olympic Team, will carry select items from the adidas collection in stores across the country starting on November 30, 2013.

In addition to the high performance collection, Sport Chek and adidas also announced their sponsorship of seven Canadian Olympic hopefuls. Competing in a cross section of Canada’s most popular winter sports, the following athletes will be involved in grassroots events across the country encouraging participation in sport and will be part of a major new marketing campaign this fall called, “What It Takes”. The campaign celebrates what it takes to become one of the best athletes in the world and will highlight the new adidas Canadian Olympic Team High Performance Collection:

• Chris Del Bosco – Vancouver 2010 Olympian (Ski Cross)
• Erik Guay – Two-Time Olympian (Alpine Skiing)
• Charles Hamelin – Three-Time Olympic Medallist (Short Track Speed Skating)
• Kaillie Humphries – Vancouver 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist (Bobsleigh)
• Meaghan Mikkelson – Vancouver 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist (Ice Hockey)
• Jon Montgomery – Vancouver 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist (Skeleton)
• Maëlle Ricker – Vancouver 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist (Snowboard Cross)

“We are thrilled to welcome adidas to the Canadian Olympic Family,” said Marcel Aubut, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. “The adidas brand is synonymous with so many memorable international sporting moments, therefore partnering with seven of Canada’s most accomplished athletes was a natural fit. This is an innovative sponsorship which will go a long way in helping our athletes as they continue to prepare to take on the world. On behalf of the entire Canadian Olympic Family, I want to thank and congratulate adidas for their continued commitment to high performance sport.”

“This partnership with the Canadian Olympic Team is an historic moment for adidas Canada,” said Jim Gabel, President of adidas Canada Group. “Canada has an amazingly rich sports heritage and we look forward to the adidas Canadian Olympic Team High Performance Collection being emblematic of that. As Canadian Olympians train to compete on the world stage and Canadians work toward their own active living goals we are excited to be part of their journey.”

“Sport Chek is the official sports store of the Canadian Olympic Team and brings Canadians the best brands for active and healthy living,” said Michael Medline, President of FGL Sports – the parent company of Sport Chek. “I am very proud that Sport Chek will offer sport enthusiasts the adidas Canadian Olympic Team High Performance Collection as it is one of the most exciting apparel and footwear collections for athletes in training. We know what it takes to succeed, whether that’s a top athlete competing internationally or a new runner signing up for a 5 km race. The team at Sport Chek is dedicated to sport because we believe it has the power to inspire greatness.”

UCI World Tour’s Team Sky have announced News Corporation’s 21st Century Fox will sponsor the team ahead of the 100th Tour de France, which starts on Saturday.

Team Sky has announced a long-term commitment from News Corporation, which will see the 21st Century Fox brand appear prominently on riders’ kit and team vehicles.

21st Century Fox is the proposed media and entertainment company that will be formed following News Corporation’s separation into two distinct publicly-traded companies.

News Corporation and its subsidiary Sky Italia have been partners in Team Sky since the team first raced in 2010. The new partnership increases this support for the team, which will continue to be known as Team Sky and operate as Sky Pro Cycling.

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal of Team Sky, said: “21st Century Fox is a perfect fit and is an appealing global brand that will be great to work with.”

James Murdoch, News Corporation’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, said: “It’s a great time to increase our commitment to Team Sky and to add the support of an exciting new entertainment brand. We’re proud of the team’s success so far, its professionalism and its approach to attracting new fans to the sport and increasing grassroots participation in cycling.”

In 2012, Team Sky’s Sir Bradley Wiggins become the first British rider to win the Tour de France.

Millwall FC have signed on national charity Prostate Cancer UK to be its headline sponsor for the forthcoming season days after reportedly rejecting a deal with payday lender QuickQuid. 

According to the Guardian, Millwall turned down QuickQuid, a company that advertises its short-term rates at “only” 1,734% APR, as they felt it would take advantage of their working-class support.

But Nigel Currie a Director at brandRapport and expert in sports sponsorship believes payday lenders have been badly represented.

He told iSportconnect: “I think it is a reflection of the extremely  poor PR and image that payday lenders currently have.  There are alcohol brands which if used, could potentially ruin your heath or lifestyle and gaming companies that through betting with them could cause financial problems with all the knock on effects that come with this. 

“However payday lenders have this image of being exploiters of disadvantaged people and that would appear to carry much more weight than the perils of alcohol or gambling.  I believe that the clubs are reacting to popular opinion and are making the decision that it is not worth alienating the public and their fans.  The potential loss of income from not allowing payday lenders to become sponsors will not be sufficiently high to make it worth the backlash that the clubs would face.”

In turn Prostate Cancer UK has taken up the sponsorship gap and the Championship club has waived all commercial fees making the sponsorship free for the charity.

Lions CEO Andy Ambler said: “A motto that we have adopted at our club is ‘Football is the answer, not the problem.’ There is so much that we do, and can do more of, which enables Millwall to be a force for good. We are a family club, and like every family we know many close to us who have suffered the effects of cancer.

“If displaying the Prostate Cancer UK logo on our shirts, providing regular information in our publications and around our ground, and having health professionals available on matchdays to discuss issues in an informal setting, helps saves lives, we will have achieved something even greater than three points on a Saturday afternoon.”

Welcoming the Club’s free partnership deal – including a year’s joint fundraising effort which aims to raise some £100k to be divided between the charity and the Millwall FC Community Trust – Prostate Cancer UK’s Mark Bishop said: “Having Millwall Football Club pledge a season to fighting prostate cancer is a massive statement about how seriously they take this cause. Together, we mean to make sure everyone at the club, the fans, local residents and away supporters wise up to the most common cancer in men and can help us tackle it.

“Football is vital to us as a charity because it reaches thousands of men unreachable by conventional health messages. We’re really proud of what we and Millwall may achieve for men of all backgrounds in the season ahead.”

Millwall CEO Joins Football League Board

Millwall Chief Executive Andy Ambler has been elected to the Board of The Football League following a vote of Championship clubs.

Middlesbrough Director Keith Lamb was also re-elected to serve a further three year term.

Ambler and Lamb take their places on The Football League Board alongside Chairman Greg Clarke, Independent Non-Executive Director Richard Bowker and fellow Championship representative Shaun Harvey (Leeds United). Also on The Board are League 1 representatives John Nixon (Carlisle United), James Rodwell (Notts County) and League 2 representative Ian Lenegan (Oxford United).

Andy said: “I’m really looking forward to serving on The Football League Board. This is a real privilege both for me personally and for Millwall Football Club. I will be working closely with my fellow Board members to help take The League from strength to strength.”

Czech Republic based car manufacturer Skoda have announced for the tenth time they will be the main sponsor and official vehicle partner of the Tour de France.

With a fleet consisting of 250 SKODA vehicles and many initiatives surrounding the event the Czech automaker will be present at the 100th Anniversary edition of the cycling classic. This year’s tour will take place from 29 June to 21 July.

“Our longstanding partnership with the world’s number one cycling event underlines the close connection of the brand SKODA with cycling,” says Skoda Board Chairman Prof. Dr. hc Winfried Vahland. “The fact that we are also able to celebrate with the 100th anniversary edition ten years SKODA Tour de France sponsorship, of course, is very special. Support of the Tour de France and other cycling events is also an expression of our nearly 118-year company tradition. The success story brand began in December 1895 with the production of bicycles by our founding fathers Laurin and Klement.”

This year’s Tour de France will start on 29 June – the first time on the French island of Corsica, and there, with the same three stages. As in previous years, SKODA will sponsor the ‘White Jersey’ – for the best rider under 25 years.